International Journal of Archaeology 2017; 5(1): 6-13 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ija doi: 10.11648/j.ija.20170501.12 ISSN: 2330-7587 (Print); ISSN: 2330-7595 (Online) The Agricultural Environment's Effect on the Deterioration of the Archaeological Sites Applied on Atfiyah's Sarabium Archaeological Site – Egypt Rabea Radi Abdel Kader, Shaimaa Sayed Mohamed El-Sayed * Restoration Department, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt Email address: [email protected] (S. S. M. El-Sayed) * Corresponding author To cite this article: Rabea Radi Abdel Kader, Shaimaa Sayed Mohamed El-Sayed. The Agricultural Environment's Effect on the Deterioration of the Archaeological Sites Applied on Atfiyah's Sarabium Archaeological Site – Egypt. International Journal of Archaeology. Vol. 5, No. 1, 2017, pp. 6-13. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.20170501.12 Received: July 10, 2016; Accepted: October 17, 2016; Published: April 15, 2017 Abstract: The Agricultural Environment has a severe effect on the deterioration of the archaeological sites, it causes many deterioration phenomena to these sites, most of them are biodeterioration and the others are physio – chemical deterioration. Sarabium archaeological site located in Atfiyah's center – Egypt, it belonged to 26 th dynasty, the site suffers from the agricultural environment's effect because it is very near from the fields in the area (100 meter approx. far only). The most effective factor of deterioration is the groundwater which affects badly on the deterioration of the building materials there, many microorganisms grow on lime stone carved coffins and ruins, they secret organic compounds which react with lime stone and turn it to soluble salts, the groundwater comes from the fields and contains many salts which dissolve in it and rise with the capillary system to the building materials not only this effect, but also the intensive growth of weeds in the site. This research aims to study the agricultural environment's effect on the deterioration of the archaeological sites with an application on Atfiyah's Sarabium archaeological site – Giza -Egypt. Keywords: Sarabium Archaeological Site, Ground Water, Microorganisms, Limestone, Weeds and Salts 1. Introduction Sarabium archaeological site located in Atfiyah's center – Giza governorate, Apis bull buried in many tombs which Called "Sarabium" like Saqqara Sarabium site but Atfiyah's Sarabium is for the burial of Hathur cow which was the main goddess of Atfiyah's center in this time, the site contains many tombs for Hathur cow from the 26 th dynasty [1].It suffers from the existence of groundwater in the carved limestone's coffins because of the short distance between the site and the fields around it, it is lower than the surrounded area and the groundwater aggregates inside the coffins. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. The Ground Water's Analysis We took water's sample from one of the limestone's coffins to identify it, the sample analyzed in Water testing central laboratories – Drinking Water and Sanitation Company in Fayoum governorate. Figure (1-3). 2.2. The Analysis of Limestone Ruins A sample of limestone was analyzed by X- Ray Diffraction (XRD) to identify its components and examined by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to study the surface; also the sample was analyzed by EDAX (Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy). Figure (4-6). 2.3. Identification of the Limestone's Ruins Mortar A sample of mortar was analyzed by X- Ray Diffraction (XRD) to identify its components, examined by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to study the surface, and examined by Polarizing microscope to identify its components. Figure (7-9).
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International Journal of Archaeology 2017; 5(1): 6-13
http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ija
doi: 10.11648/j.ija.20170501.12
ISSN: 2330-7587 (Print); ISSN: 2330-7595 (Online)
The Agricultural Environment's Effect on the Deterioration of the Archaeological Sites Applied on Atfiyah's Sarabium Archaeological Site – Egypt
Rabea Radi Abdel Kader, Shaimaa Sayed Mohamed El-Sayed*
Restoration Department, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
the existence of halite salt with high percentage due to the
ground water existence in the site and rising of it in the wall
by the capillary system.
(6) The polarizing microscope's examination of the mortar
shows the existence of gypsum, calcite, quartz, halite in the
sample which confirms the XRD's analysis result of the same
sample.
(7) The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) examination
of the mortar's sample shows the weakness of the mortar and
the high existence of salts (Halite) inside it in the needle's
form.
(8) The analysis of mud bricks' sample with XRD shows
that the main component is Quartz (45.9%), Calcite
(22.12%), Albite (20.45%) and Halite (11.48).%
(9) The examination of the mud bricks ' sample with SEM
12 Rabea Radi Abdel Kader et al.: The Agricultural Environment's Effect on the Deterioration of the Archaeological
Sites Applied on Atfiyah's Sarabium Archaeological Site – Egypt
shows that mud bricks are very weak in the site because of
the high percentage of quartz in them and the wide growth of
weeds which penetrate deeply in mud bricks walls ruins and
destroy them.
(10) The elemental analysis of mud bricks' sample with
EDAX confirms the XRD's analysis.
(11) The identification of the Microbiological effect of the
groundwater shows the existence of blue green algae
(Cyanobacteria) and diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) in the
water, the transmission and growth of these microorganisms
in the limestone's coffins and ruins' surface), the blue green
algae and diatoms grow in the existence of sunlight to make
photosynthesis.
(12) The organic activity of the algae consist biofilm
which deforms the limestone's view by their stains, also the
algae fix the carbon and provide a source of nutrition for
heterotrophic microorganisms which may further degrade the
stone 's surface (bio weathering of the stones) [2], Figure (17-
22).
(13) The existence of the agriculture waste water in the site
causes the high growth of some weeds like Phragmites
communis (Trin.) and Sonchus oleraceus (L.) [3].
Figure 17. Shows the blue green algae under the microscope.
Figure 18. Shows the diatoms under the microscope.
Figure 19. Shows the agriculture waste water aggregates in one of the
limestone' coffins in the site.
Figure 20. Shows growth of salts and algae inside the limestone's coffin.
Figure 21. Shows the growth of algae on one of the limestone' ruins surface
in the study area and staining of it.
International Journal of Archaeology 2017; 5(1): 6-13 13
Figure 22. Shows the growth of algae on the external surface of one of the
limestone' coffins.
4. Conclusion
The Agricultural environment has a bad effect on the
archaeological sites especially Sarabium's archaeological site
in Atfiyah – Giza- Egypt, the effects are the groundwater's
existence ( Agricultural waste water ), the growth of salts in
the building materials or on their surface, the wide growth of
weeds, the growth of microorganisms on the building
materials ( Algae).
Acknowledgment
To Central Laboratories of Water Analysis – Fayoum
Drinking Water and Sanitation Company (FDWSC) –
Ministry of Housing and Utility – Egypt especially Chemist /
Marwa Sayed Mahgoub.
- Prof. Dr / Mohamed Abdel Hady Mohamed - Prof. of
Restoration and Conservation - Faculty of Archaeology –
Cairo University - Egypt.
- Prof. Dr / Hussein Fawzy Hussein AbouZainah - Prof. of
Botany – Agricultural and Biological Research Division-
National Research Centre – Egypt.
- Mr / Sabry Gaber- Pests and weeds management
laboratory – Antiquities ' Researches and Conservation center
– Project Sector – Ministry of Antiquities – Egypt.
References
[1] Mission égypto-française d’Atfih, 'Atfih, la nécropole des vaches sacrées (mission 2008), Institut d' Egyptologie Francois Daumas, Universite Paul Valery, France, 2008.
[2] Nick A. Cutler, Heather A. Viles, Samin Ahmad, Stephen McCabe, Bernard J. Smith, Algal ‘greening’ and the conservation of stone heritage structures, Science of the Total Environment 442, (2013), P: 153.
[3] Shaimaa Sayed Mohamed El-Sayed Mahgoub, ' Evaluation of Wild and Domestic Trees and Plants Hazards, their Role in the Deterioration of Archaeological Buildings Ruins, Methods of Treatment and Assessment of these Hazards Applied on a Chosen Historical Building and Site ', PhD thesis, Restoration department, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, Egypt, 2015/2016.